Led · Equity · Aug 2020

Scioto Biosciences develops live bacterial therapeutics built on its proprietary ABT (Activated Bacterial Therapeutics) platform, which it holds under an exclusive global license from researchers at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute. The company’s lead drug candidate, SB-121, targets disorders related to the gut–brain axis such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and gut-injury conditions like Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). The announced funding will support continued clinical development of SB-121. Scioto was founded in 2017 as a partnership between Monon Bioventures and AWRI and is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. The company is described in the release as focused on transforming delivery of live bacterial therapeutics across indications including gastrointestinal health, neurological disorders, diabetes, and alternatives to in‑feed antibiotics. Scioto will cooperate multilaterally with its new investor on research of new drug candidates and to expand access to Asian markets and regulatory engagement. Scioto Biosciences is a preclinical-stage company developing a platform to transform delivery of microbiome therapeutics. The company’s core product is a microbiome platform licensed from Nationwide Children’s Hospital at its founding in May 2017, intended to enhance efficacy of probiotics and enable preventive and therapeutic applications across human and animal health. Scioto positions the platform to address conditions including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants and other gastrointestinal, metabolic, neurological and in‑feed antibiotic alternative uses in livestock. The recently closed financing and grants will support the launch and further preclinical development of the platform. Scioto cites a strong IP portfolio, an executive and scientific team, and research relationships with the Research Institute of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Financially, the company closed a $1.8M Series A and previously received a $330,000 Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the NIH plus a $50,000 match from the State of Indiana. The company is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.